Security in mobile app development: the 5 biggest risks

A survey by Nokia revealed that app users look at their smartphones an average of 150 times a day, which indicates the value and potential that the mobile app development sector has reached. However, the Android and iOS app development goes far beyond creating an attractive interface or solving a simple user problem. Security in mobile application development and data protection must be one of the most important elements for professionals seeking long-term growth and consolidation of their work in this industry. While the mobile world is experiencing spectacular growth, it is exposed to significant security problems. These are the 5 biggest security dangers and risks in mobile app development.

1. Insecure data storage

Developers are responsible for Protect the data of people who use your applications. It is recommended that data is not stored for long periods of time and is anonymized whenever possible, otherwise it can end up causing problems. If your data storage is not secure, sensitive data such as passwords and credit card numbers can be vulnerable to hacks due to lack of knowledge of device behavior, unprotected synchronization of sensitive data to the cloud, or unauthorized access to your data. data stored in insecure locations, such as on an SD card. In this regard and to maintain security, Develop your app in such a way that it does not store any critical information directly on the deviceIf it needs to be stored, it should be done so securely. To protect passwords on iOS, they should be stored within an encrypted data section in the iOS keychain. For Android, they should reside in encrypted storage in the internal app data directory, and the app should be flagged to not allow backup.

2. Weak controls on the server

Nowadays, you cannot rely solely on the protection that manufacturers implement on the device to enforce security controls. Mobile applications are also exposed to attacks from other applications or through the use of a mobile Internet connection. During the development of an app, and in order to maintain its security, it is important to It is important to validate input data to avoid various types of attacksServer control vulnerabilities are influenced by factors such as:

• Rush to get the app to market.
• Lack of security knowledge due to new programming languages.
• Easy access to structures that do not prioritize safety.
• Allocate smaller security budgets to mobile applications.
• Assumption that the mobile operating system takes full responsibility for security.
• Weakness due to cross-platform development and compilation.

3. Unintentional data leak

It happens when the Confidential information is mistakenly placed in an easily accessible location on the mobile device by malicious applications. In this situation, the data is at serious risk of being leaked. The use of Mobile Internet has far surpassed desktop Internet usage, which makes mobile devices even more attractive for fraudsters and cybercriminals. For this reason, developers have to further increase the security of mobile applications during their development. The most effective way to achieve this is by considering the following points:

• Validate all input, type, syntax, before data is displayed or stored.
• Reject invalid input rather than attempting to check potentially hostile data.
• Be careful with error messages, they may also include invalid data.
• Please be careful when connecting to the database or other support systems.
• Avoid detailed error messages that may be useful to hackers.
• Use stored procedures as they are generally safe against SQL injection.
• Do not use dynamic query interfaces.
• Don't use simple escape functions, they are weak and may have been hacked.
• Make sure your application does not decode the same input twice.

4. Broken encryption

The biggest tech giants have paid special attention to cryptography. Apple, for example, uses hardware encryption (a concept that uses the AES256 algorithm) in the development of all its smartphones and iPads running iOS version 5 or higher, which guarantees robust protection against any attempt to intercept data stored on the device. Do you want your app to be among the most prestigious on the market? Then don't forget that encryption algorithms become obsolete relatively quickly. In addition, most apps require the entry of personal data to purchase features. If your app does not use an encryption algorithm or uses weak keys, millions of users of your product can become victims of hackers.

5. Unknown source codes

Developing a mobile app from scratch Hacking can be very time-consuming, so developers often try to use the vast amount of code on the web. Be very careful, though, as taking this shortcut can cost you dearly: many hackers create code and make it available hoping that it will be used by some developer. This gives them free access to all the information they need after releasing the app. Make sure to check the sources of the code you are using.